Breaking Bad(which reminds me why has no one in arizona used that as a title for a particularly bad arizona loss?)with Colin Cowherd going from regularly calling us the seachickens to naming us superbowl contenders, bill simmons (a sports genius) picking us before the season even started, and tons of purely eastcoast columnist legitimately naming russell wilson when talking about rookie of the year contenders I think we can finally say that the jig is up on us "not getting noticed".

so why are we still seeing post about how we don't get no respect? probably because we are just so used to it.

I'm not seeing media bias about the hawks anymore like i did at the begining of the season. There are no more "you lost to an inferior team" talks, in fact that probably died after the new england game. hell if anything the east coast media keeps trying to fit us into our newer sexier role; The Villain. An NFL season is a little like a political campaign. The media places the participating candidates in appropriate role and then frames the stories accordingly. for many years the isolation and ineptitude helped to place us squarely in the "lovable losers" category (the proverbial ralph nader of the NFL) or even at our best a respectable underdog.

So here is my question,

were we really ever ignored? or were we just not ever that good?

Maybe there never was an eastcoast bias, maybe national games just didn't wanna risk seeing matt hasselbeck shatter a vertebra running in (untouched) in the endzone.

Maybe no one talked about us back in the day because we rarely ever one our "are they for real" games on national tv save for that 2005 season. there was a chicago game in the lone jim mora era that had we had one, would probably have got us some looks and made mora look like the right man for the job. the day we lost that you could hear the tone about our team change. i think they truly truly believe in us now. has that been it the whole time? did we just suck?

We are the 2014 Superbowl champions and it can never, ever be taken away.Greatest defense in NFL history.

Nope, definately a bias, exhibit A: Did you know that Jerome Bettis is from Detroit? We're doing the only thing you can and that's beat teams down, and we're getting a lot more attention now because our team is getting stronger.

Actually, a long-time St. Louis Rams fan moved to Seattle (from St. Louis) and started work at my employer about five years ago. He loves the NFL, not just his Rams, so we started talking football/Rams/Seahawks regularly, and he didn't believe me about the media bias stuff.

Know what he thinks now, after having lived here for five years? He completely agrees that it exists, and that it's annoying. This is a long-time Rams fan, who doesn't like the Seahawks, agreeing about it.

It's not every single national media member, it's a general unspoken consensus. Look at former players even. Sanders, Faulk, Irvin, et al...Douches for sure, but nobody can argue the success they compiled during their time in the league. Yet, whenever the Seahawks are mentioned, they all have that same look and commentary as if they are members of this elitist high society Harvard club and the Seahawks are some scum they stepped in, tainting their $1,000 shoes and now they are forced to actually acknowledge the incident if even for a brief moment.

Oh yes Anastasia, the Seahawks media bias is very, very real.

"Shaquem Griffin tells ESPN after he got drafted by Seattle; 'I can't breathe.' That's the only time you'll hear him say he can't do something." - Dan Wetzel via Twitter.

Aros wrote:It's not every single national media member, it's a general unspoken consensus. Look at former players even. Sanders, Faulk, Irvin, et al...Douches for sure, but nobody can argue the success they compiled during their time in the league. Yet, whenever the Seahawks are mentioned, they all have that same look and commentary as if they are members of this elitist high society Harvard club and the Seahawks are some scum they stepped in, tainting their $1,000 shoes and now they are forced to actually acknowledge the incident if even for a brief moment.

Oh yes Anastasia, the Seahawks media bias is very, very real.

I agree with the media bias. Example G-32, last week on NFL network we were the number 1 defense for the week but all that was said was and I'm paraphrasing, "can we just say if Arizona is involved no awards can be given?" Not two words even about the "number 1" defense of the week. However, Deion Sanders has on a number of occasions spoken very highly about Russel Wilson and our DBs. It just seems that things have gotten better recently , media wise. An SF win will bring big kudos to our program IMHO. It seems that when we are always on the brink of doing something great, consistently but then lose to say Detroit, Miami, we fall off the radar. So, that is what worries me about this week.

With that said,,, man this team reminds me of late 80's Seahawks. Mainly cause I started watching in 86 but tough gritty defense and soooo much potential and production from our offense. I remember in 88 SI had us picked as the Super Bowl favorites and had a picture of Steve Largent making a diving catch at the beginning of the article. So I think there is much hope for us , even with the media

seahawkfreak wrote:...An SF win will bring big kudos to our program IMHO. It seems that when we are always on the brink of doing something great, consistently but then lose to say Detroit, Miami, we fall off the radar. So, that is what worries me about this week.

I agree with your premise that when we lose to the Lions, Dolphins of the world, any momentum previously gained is for naught.

Rightfully so, because it seems to be oh so Seahawks to do crap like that.

However, I don't agree that a win this Sunday will necessarily bring "big kudos" to our team. Like many have said this week, it's very likely that IF we do beat the 49ers, you will be likely to hear 10 times the excuses than the accolades from the media...

Allow me to offer the most predictable ones...

"Well the 49ers did come off an emotional victory in New England last week...Soooo..."

"Well everybody knows the Seahawks can win at home, they are now 7-0 for the year..."

"Sure the Seahawks won, but the 49ers gave the game away!!"

"If it wasn't for that ONE play, the 49ers win that ballgame!"

"It seems clear that the Seahawks pump in artifical crowd noise. The NFL needs to investigate! That is an unfair advantage!!"

"You can't expect the 49ers to have back-to-back excellent victories on Sunday Night Football! Think of that travel time and fatigue!"

"Well it was a matter of time before Pete Carroll would finally win one over his nemisis Harbaugh..."

"The Seahawks got lucky. They still are a bad team." -- Michael Irvin

"Shaquem Griffin tells ESPN after he got drafted by Seattle; 'I can't breathe.' That's the only time you'll hear him say he can't do something." - Dan Wetzel via Twitter.

This is such an overblown issue. The Seahawks have received so much national coverage this year (and growing). You have to give the nation a reason to care (whether as a hero or a villian). Our franchise history couldn't be more generic or bland in the scheme of things. One Super Bowl appearance makes us an irrelevant one-hit wonder from that perspective. On top of that, we've never had a truly elite QB (until now) that the nation loves following or talking about. Plus, to my knowledge, none of our former stars have tried to make the transition to TV where they can play the role of cheerleader or homer (Dilfer's reputation was earned with Tampa). That could change with Hasselbeck depending on what he wants to do.

If the Seahawks franchise were in any other city east of the Mississippi other than NY and Chicago, the extra coverage over the past two decades would only have been marginally greater at best. Out here in Redskins land, I've heard the Seahawks come up in a disproportionate number of non-NFC East conversations and listener calls this year because of the things they are doing on the field (and the fact that they have a QB that's worth watching on a national scale).

TheHawkster wrote:Sports media is about making money. They appease whoever has the most listeners.

Commercials, site hits and banners baybay!!!!!!

yeah, this. Its not a "bias", its a business. Bias indicates that there is some sort of conspiracy against our team. When in actuality most media outlets just dont care about the Seahawks week in and week out.

For example, last weeks Giants beatdown and Cowboys win were the major NFL stories until the Patriots game. The "bias" exists in that there are literally millions more people interested in those stories than the 9-5 Seahawks. Isnt this understandable? Does Seattle media spend alot if time covering the Bears?

I live in MN, and aside from the Vikings (or, well, Ponder sucks and AP is the god of all running backs) they really only focus on the Packers and now the Seahawks. Its all about what the fan base want to talk about

Bias.. I don't know but the coverage of the Jets is one of the most annoying, pathetic aspects of NFLN coverage. They spent the first six minutes of Total Access talking about McElroy getting the start and the subsequent benching of Sanchez and then what to do with Tebow.. 6 minutes to start the show for a 6-8 team that is garbage..

You're also a product of the company you keep. For the past decade, we've been part of a laughably inept division full of awful, uncompetitive teams. Half the stories in the November/December timeframe are about division races and the key teams/players in each. Until this year, the NFC West has been all about one team each year. Depending on how the rest of the year plays out, the SEA-SF storyline is going to be a big part of the offseason/preseason conversation. Particularly since each is lead by a dynamic, young QB worth paying attention to.

The NY Jet anomaly is driven by the NYC market. The Cowboys are oft-referenced, but they earned that with the national fanbase/brand they created during the Landry and Jimmy Johnson eras.

I think Jac had the best post here. I agree with him and like the way he presented it as a fellow denizen of Redskins country. The Seahawks are a good team. Finally. It's been a long wait. It's sort of like the boy who cried wolf. Hey, look at me, look at me I'm gonna win. Oh, they lost again. Well, next time they start crying for more attention, I'll just ignore them, cause they're gonna stink it up. An ugly pattern, but it's changing now. I'd say this season in general, and the last couple of weeks we (yes, I am a fan) are getting a lot of media attention. We'd be getting more if took Tebow as a backup. That's the main reason the Jets are getting this much coverage. Last year, the Broncos got too much attention because of Tim. Wilson is getting a tremendous amount of media attention that is all entirely positive, feel good story type of stuff. As we roll in to the playoffs, they'll probably do more hey look at this hoodlum made good stories about Bruce Irvin. The guys on my local sports radio won't shut up about the Seahwaks and different playoff scenarios. Anyway, I think finishing above .500 and making the playoffs with a rising start quarterback will change the place of the Seahawks in the media for sure. The NFLN and ESPN guys will notice the rebuilding project has succeeded which is always exciting to see and cover. many already have.

The media is made up mostly of fans, and it acts like fans. Most fans are story oriented backwards looking Bob Costas types, and from that perspective, what is there to say about Seattle? And it isn't about championships, Just ask Tampa. It is about being feared, and when has Seattle ever been a team that causes fear?

The media bias is real, but like I said, most in the media are fans on some level, and fans have bias. Add to that that most in the media focus on the team brand.

There is only one way to cultivate an enduring NFL brand: Be feared. In big games, bloody media darlings. Look at Baltimore, who has cultivated their brand perfectly. This year they are struggling on defense, but ask the average fan or even media member if that will last, and they will say no way. Baltimore is true to it's brand, and we all know it. So is Pittsburgh. So are the Giants. They bloodied Tom Brady a couple of times, and it established their current brand.

And teams, and players, can't actively court the media to establish a brand, because the media will turn on them like the beast it is. The Jets have tried to do that. Richard Sherman tried to do that. Jeramy Stevens tried to do that.

Nope, there is only one way to establish an enduring brand that cuts through media bias, by having an EFF the rest attitude combined with ruthless football. We aren't there yet, but we are on the right track. Be a bully, run up the score, be feared. Football is gladiatorial, and if you aren't feared, you aren't relevant. Bias is inherent to the sport, but fear is respect in this sport.

i will agree, the seahawks have recieved a lot of media attention this year, and RW is finally getting his coverage as well... but if anyone thinks a media bias doesn't exist , then you're just fooling yourself..

driving home yesterday from work on ESPN radio, they were talking about the jets QB situation... really? who the hell cares about the jets other than the jets fans? SF vs. SEA - Kaep vs. RW national spotlight game with playoff implications, and you're talking about Tebow getting passed over for a no name QB..

hawker84 wrote:i will agree, the seahawks have recieved a lot of media attention this year, and RW is finally getting his coverage as well... but if anyone thinks a media bias doesn't exist , then you're just fooling yourself..

driving home yesterday from work on ESPN radio, they were talking about the jets QB situation... really? who the hell cares about the jets other than the jets fans? SF vs. SEA - Kaep vs. RW national spotlight game with playoff implications, and you're talking about Tebow getting passed over for a no name QB..

ya no bias there

As capncrunch pointed out, the Jets QB situation has everything to do with Tebow and the following he's created. Add in Sanchez and his off-the-field exploits, it's a story the media is going to tell. If the two QBs in that story were Chad Henne and John Beck, it's a non-story.

I'm sure it's got less to do for hatred of Seattle, or the fact we are in Alaska and not even on this continent - it has to do with what the media interprets as interesting theater for their newspapers, blogs, and television shows. The fact is that the Pacific Northwest is just a tiny segment of this nation - I don't know the exact stat but something near 1/2 of the US population lives in a NE or eastern seaboard state. So... pander to the audience. Notwithstanding, the Seahawks don't do that much to publicize themselves; if I were them I'd be out there doing stuff to improve my image - start the roadshow across the states and globally to increase awareness of just how good and interesting this team really is... that would change our media coverage for sure (since more people would have a genuine interest in our team!).

As Scottmojo pointed out, branding is everything. This quote from Hangover II sums up our historic branding "But Chio loves khao and that's when I realized, [the Seahawk franchise] is khao. Khao is soft white rice in lukewarm water. It has no taste. Befitted to small babies and very old people."

Now when the announcers/listeners talk about the Seahawks on local DC radio, what do they talk about? Eccentric Peter Carroll running up the score. The Golden Tate touchdown. Beast Quake. The "hard-hitting team" narrative that was largely driven by Golden Tate's decapitation of Lee. The way Wilson icily dissected Chicago with no time left.

We finally have a QB and supporting cast (including GM John Schneider) that is going to create a brand for us.

I heard talk a few days ago about the “reputation” of a team being the last thing to go. They were speaking of the Ravens at the time. I remember thinking that this is so true and my next thought was about how we never really built a “reputation” in the first place. Certainly nothing that would garner national attention over a long period of time anyway. I think what we are all witnessing now is the building of that “reputation” that I have been waiting for since I started watching back in the 80’s. We have always put up some strong seasons here and there but nothing to tear the media away from the big markets. I think that’s all about to change-

The media is centered on the east coast. The biggest markets are on the east coast. Of course they pay less attention to the team furthest away from them. They have their darlings and priorities, and the Hawks aren't one.

I just can't believe people still get bent out of shape about a lack of coverage, it should have been accepted it a long time ago as a fact of life of a Seattle sports fan.

There is absolutely a media bias concerning the Seahawks but honestly.......I don't give Sh*t! Winning games has a way of taking care of any and all the haters and naysayers! Cheers to shutting them up!!

I live on the East Coast (previously lived on the West Coast) and I can tell you clearly that the media is very bias. Big markets and historically successful franchises is really what runs the media: ratings, rating, ratings... NY, Boston, Washington DC, Philly, Miami and Dallas ...mostly because of the eccentric nature of Jerry Jones, ... On the other hand, Steelers, Giants, Patriots, Bears, ...That said ... It is good that SF and Seattle seems to be on the way to having some solid and steadily successful franchises that put good products every Sunday. The name Russell Wilson is really good, because he was a star in the ACC, then he was a star in the Big Ten and now he is about to become a star on the west coast. He is not as flamboyant as RGIII, he is not as eccentric as a Michael Vick... but he is consistent. He is a hard worker, he displays a good image for the League ... just like the Mannings, Brady, ...His success has surprised a lot of people. He is a good story of defying the odds. He is a true American story. Someone who was told he can't do it ... but he did it. Think about it for a minute. The NFL has 5-6 young QBs (Cam, Russell, RGIII, Luck, Ryan, CK7,...) , who will be terrific for the next 10+ years and Seahawks have one of them.

rideaducati wrote:Do you remember any of the mediots going nuts about the XL officiating? Do you think the mediots will EVER STOP going nuts about the 2012 week 3 regular season game officiating?

Actually, quite some number of national / non-west-coast pundits had very bad things to say about XL officiating. I know because I clipped the articles.

That said, it's too bad that media coverage does seem to be going the way of the Olympics (focus on the teams with big audiences, and the 'personal interest' stories) instead of actual football Xs and Os.